Small Businesses can use e-commerce to increase productivity over the summer

How can you do more in this Summer? People take off during summer time and how can you increase productivity of yours and also your staff.

Here is a small piece of information shared by Andrew S. Field. Andrew is the President and CEO of Printing for less.com. He feels as a small business owners you can save yourself, your employees and your customers time and money by doing small things. Let us look at one by one.

You can leverage technology in all your dealings. You can buy your supplies online. Some of the administrative support functions such as banking, paying the bills can be automated through online. You can buy your marketing materials such as website, logo design to printing and mailing lists. Printing for less.com is one such company, which provides all these services online. You don’t need to step out on your vehicle and go to the printer to get all the works done. Printing for less.com can do all these work for you online. You can also develop your downline to work smarter. During slow periods, you can take advantage of low-cost online training if relevant. This makes your staff get motivated and do more for you.

You can use technology to make it easy for your customers. You can save their precious time and worries. If you put all your goods and services online, it is available to your customers 24X7 even if you are not there. Some of the things you can put oneline are product information, order tracking, company information, resource links, where it can use freely. Through this online display, you will maximize valuable people –power by automating routine transactions online so your team can focus on providing higher-value-add services. You can also advertise their products and link to other sites. This will help customers where to find you. If they feel that this is an easy way to do business and creating a remarkable experience for customers, you’ll be sure to get people talking and increase referrals this summer for your business.

To boost the summer sales, you can use direct mail services. Summers are the perfect time for a direct mail campaign. You can get the phone ringing with increased communication to prospects / customers. You can also use a print provider that can handle the mailings too. To get the beautiful direct mail designs, take the help of Printing for less.com

Another way is to increase the brand visibility. During the slow summers, you can use a integrated look and feel to re-inforce your company branding and increase top-of-mind-awareness. You can use full-color stationery, which is great for a professional image and branding at every touch point.

Why don’t you use an e-commerce printing solution especially over the summer? It’s convenient, affordable and the turnaround will be faster.

There are some online printers who can give you the ability to order print jobs right from your computer. You just need to simply upload your print file (in any format). They will review it and approve your proof and deliver at your door step. It just as a “one stop shops” who can handle your printing and mailing needs effortlessly.

Most local printers can take weeks to handle a job from quote to finish. Online printers can usually turn your project around quickly – usually anywhere from 2-7 days. You can really save lot of time here. E-commerce printers often have lower prices than local print shops. Assume that you are ordering high quantities, you will get it at lower per-piece prices too. Internet gives you the opportunity to develop a great relationship with a printer located across the country.

While selecting your e-commerce / online printing solution, check their service. With an online printer, service is the key to a successful print project. Make sure the representative are available, friendly, and polite while talking to you. Ensure that the representatives are knowledgeable and able to answer your queries. Also, check whether they have received any service awards. Are they flexible? Can you configure a project the way you want or are there limited options?

Is their work 100% guaranteed? Check BBB. Check the fine print to make sure there are no weasel words. Ask for specifics on the guarantee?

Obviously quality matters. Request for samples of printed products before ordering. How about the quality of paper used and the printing equipment? What about testimonials? Do they have printing experience and who are their clients? All these matter when you choose online printing options.

Always, avoid looking for cheapest price. You get what you pay for – it will be usually inferior quality, substandard service and sometime you don’t get technical support too. It’s easy to find affordable printing service that can compete in quality with the big guys.

Andrew S. Field is the President and CEO of Printing for less.com. Andrew Field launched PrintingForLess.com in 1996, and has since led a revolution in the commercial printing industry, tapping the power of the Internet to build one of the country’s fastest-growing companies.

Andrew’s affinity for the printing business began when he learned to run a press in high school and got a job at a local print shop in his home town of San Mateo, California. From there he worked for print shops in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, until switching careers to sales and business management when he moved to Montana in 1989.

He started a successful local automotive service business, then secured a regional distributorship for Wynn Oil Company, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty chemicals. The distributorship won Wynn Oil’s coveted award for #1 in U.S. market penetration five out of six years from 1994 to1999. After founding PFL in 1996, Andrew turned over operations of American Automotive Supply to his wife, Victoria, in 2001 so he could devote his efforts to growing his third startup company.

Andrew was named Montana’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004 for his contributions to the local economy. He was recognized by Winning Workplaces and Fortune Small Business as a winner of the 2005 Best Bosses Award for innovative approaches that have created a high-performance workplace. Through his leadership of the company’s operations and progressive business practices, he has built a dynamic culture that both empowers and inspires his employees for success.

Andrew’s leadership and maverick tendencies first showed in college (Washington University in St. Louis) where he organized a strike to protest the unhealthy dorm food. A competitive swimmer as a youth, he now dabbles in skiing and fly fishing, and enjoys floating the Yellowstone River. Andrew’s devotion to his border collie, Jessie, was the inspiration for PFL’s dog-friendly environment. What inspires him is the fine people he works with and the opportunity his company has created for them to live their dreams in Montana.About PrintingForLess.com

PrintingForLess.com is the first and leading online commercial printing company in the United States. Located in southwest Montana, PrintingForLess.com provides unmatched technical and customer support and instant online pricing and ordering for full-color printed pieces. Go to www.printingforless.com for affordable marketing materials including: business cards, brochures, postcards, newsletters, letterhead, and more. For additional information, please visit their website.

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